5 Iconic Artists Who Hated Their Biggest Hits

One of the biggest challenges of being a successful artist is having to perform the same set of hits day in and day out for decades on end. Having to repeat the process again and again can be somewhat maddening.

While some artists grow to dislike a song after years of repeatedly having to play it, there are others who never liked it to begin with. In this list, we will take a look at 5 iconic musicians who hated their biggest hits.

Liam Gallagher: Wonderwall

Oasis was one of the biggest bands to ever come out of the 90s. With comparisons quickly being drawn to The Beatles, Oasis had the talent, image and mystique to back it up.

Over a decade after the band’s dissolution, Wonderwall remains one of their biggest hits and is a popular song even among those who are not fans of the group themselves. A highly requested song during live performances, former Oasis front-man Liam Gallagher has not been shy to share his personal dislike of the song that helped him into superstardom.

Stating that having to sing Wonderwall has made him want to gag among other more vulgar descriptions of his feelings, Gallagher’s main problem with the song is how it has overshadowed the rest of his and Oasis’ impressive repertoire.

You’d probably get a better response from Gallagher if you mentioned Live Forever instead, another Oasis hit that he considers his favorite song to perform.

Gene Simmons: I Was Made For Loving You

Known for their excellent live performances and elaborate costumes, Kiss was a musically talented band that could make a success out of anything ranging from heavy rock songs to orchestral ballads.

The disco inspired I Was Made For Loving You was written by fellow band member Paul Stanley. Stanley wrote the song simply to prove that any capable artist could write a disco hit. He was right and the song became one of Kiss’s most successful hits. Unfortunately, Gene Simmons hated it.

Preferring the heavier and more “macho” sound that the band was used to, Simmons was especially bothered by his backing vocals on the track. Despite that, he could not deny that the song made the band money. Ever the consummate businessman, Gene Simmons will continue to perform I Was Made For Loving You for as long as it stays in demand.

Kurt Cobain: Smells Like Teen Spirit

Nirvana was the face of the grunge scene and their most iconic song, Smells Like Teen Spirit, remains a legendary anthem to this very day. Beloved by generations of fans who credit the song for bringing grunge into the mainstream, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain grew to resent his own masterpiece.

Rather paradoxically, Cobain had always dreamed of being a successful musician who attracted a wide audience. However, once he attracted such an audience he began to hate the fact that the songs he had written for people like him were being enjoyed but misunderstood by the very people that grunge stood against instead.

Kurt Cobain could not stand the over commercialisation of his most iconic anthem and gradually began to be more reluctant to perform it live. Even when he did, he was not shy to show his displeasure at having to do so.

In this case, Cobain had no particular issues with Smells Like Teen Spirit. It just had the unfortunate distinction of becoming as mainstream as it did. Cobain himself had noted that if any other Nirvana song received that same attention, he would have felt the same way about it.

Frank Sinatra: Strangers in The Night

By the mid to late 60s, legendary crooners like Frank Sinatra were becoming gradually overshadowed by the increasing number of rock groups. However, Ol’ Blue Eyes was able to land himself one last big hit in the thick of it all. Unfortunately, he hated it.

This wasn’t even a case of him getting sick of it. Sinatra just never liked the song from the very beginning. He could not relate to its lyrics and needed to be convinced to record the song in the first place. It was probably the only time a musician did not want his song to go to the very top of the charts because it meant he had to perform it live constantly.

Despite making his dislike of Strangers In The Night clear, Sinatra bit the bullet and continued to perform it live to the very best of his ability. Ever the professional, The Chairman Of The Board admitted that the song made him a lot of money and as much as he hated it, he would perform it as long as it paid the bills.

Robert Plant: Stairway to Heaven

Arguably the most famous example of a musician who hates their most iconic song, Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant has resorted to all kinds of measures to distance himself from Stairway To Heaven.

Aside from rarely performing it live and stating that he can no longer relate to its lyrics, Plant has found other creative ways to demonstrate his dislike of the song. Acknowledged as one of the most played songs on radio, Plant donated money to a radio station to stop them from playing Stairway To Heaven. Beside it’s over commercialisation, the song is extremely demanding to sing and Plant could not bear with the strain of having to perform it regularly even during Led Zeppelin’s heyday.

So averse is Robert Plant to Stairway To Heaven that many believe that his reluctance to reform Led Zeppelin is at least partially due to the pressures of having to perform the song. As disappointing as it is, maybe it would be best for us fans to never bring up Stairway To Heaven to Robert Plant ever again.

That does it for this list! If you made it this far let me thank you for taking the time to read through it.

I’m sure there are many other interesting stories of musicians who hated their own songs and if I find any more that stand out, I may just make another similar list. Until then, take care!